330 



Services and operations in tlie relevant domains of the atmosphere vv^ill require 

 approximately $342 million in FY 1970, according to a report of the Office of the 

 Federal Coordinator of Meteorology.^ Chief among these are the world-wide Air 

 Weather Service, under the Department of Defense ( operational funds requested 

 in FY 1970: $144 million) and the U.S. Weather Bureau of ESSA, under the 

 Department of Commerce (operational funds requested in FY 1970 : $108 million) . 

 The remaining $90 million is spread among eight other agencies and departments. 



ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCE ELEMENTS FOR INCLUSION IN A BROADLY CONSTITUTED 

 OCEAN-ATMOSPHERE AGENCY 



In my view, if an agency were to encompass the nation's interest in the sea and 

 the atmosphere, it would include a large proportion of the atmospheric research 

 supported by the various Federal Agencies, and would, in addition, include 

 operation of the U.S. Weather Bureau. It would exclude the operational atmos- 

 phere-related services of the military, and some portion of R & D directly sup- 

 porting those services. 



The major portion of my remarks below refer to research, rather than opera- 

 tions, since I am familiar with our national research needs in this area. However, 

 as the Stratton Commission wisely indicated with regard to the oceans, research 

 and operational services both belong within the concept of an adequately broad 

 ocean-atmosphere agency. 



Listed below are the major Federal Agency research programs that should be 

 considered for inclusion in an appropriately broad ocean-atmosphere agency. For 

 each agency, I list the planned FY 1970 budgets ^ and comment on the desirability 

 of inclusion in the agency. The views expressed are solely my own, and are based 

 on my current knowledge, which is not exhaustive. A comprehensive study 

 should, of course, precede final judgment. 



(i) Department of Agriculture, FY 1970: $1,783,000 



Research in water-management, forest fire meteorology, and programs in forest- 

 air-earth interactions, including climatology of forest and crop environments. In 

 my view these programs should be included in the ocean-atmosphere agency if 

 it is formed. 



{2) Department of Commerce, FY 1970: $19,124,000 



Support of research in the Laboratory Astrophysics Division of the National 

 Bureau of Standards and also in the varied research programs of the Environ- 

 mental Science Services Administration should be included in the agency. This 

 should include the major parts of the funding for the Global Atmospheric Re- 

 search Program, an important international research program for which ESSA 

 now has lead-agency U.S. responsibility. 



In my opinion, the Global Atmospheric Research Program probably should 

 be singled out for special scrutiny by the Congress, and should obtain a very high 

 priority as a national goal — ^with earmarked funds and special periodic review by 

 Congress. GARP should be a goal of the ocean-atmosphere agency comparable to 

 NASA's present goal of a successful moon landing. 



Included in the Department of Commerce are many important research func- 

 tions, such as the pioneering work of the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Labora- 

 tory, which merits increased support. Research on hurricanes, tornadoes, climate 

 modification, severe thunderstorms, satellite meteorolgy, and several related areas 

 justify continued or enhanced support. The Stratton Commission report does not, 

 however, clearly identify what parts of the ESSA research programs it seeks to 

 encompass in N.O.A.A. 



It is particularly important that studies of the very high atmosphere, generally 

 labelled aeronomy, be included in the ocean-atmosphere agency and that they be 

 pursued with increased vigor. These researches involve the interaction of the 

 earth's atmosphere with phenomena of solar and cosmic origin. Not only must 

 these researches be extended, but there needs to be a closer contact between 

 scientists in these realms and those working in lower-level meteorology. 



(3) Department of Defense, FY 1970: $62,832,000 



There are many important programs in the DOD atmospheric science effort. 

 The DOD concept is broad, extending to solar physics research, such as the obser- 

 vation and theoretical study of solar fiares and their effects on the earth. In this 



^ Federal Plan for Meteorological Services and Supporting Research, fiscal year 1970, 

 Office of the Federal Coordinator of Meteorology, ESSA, 1969. 

 8ICAS, op. cit. 



